Open-Source BIOS files for PS1 and SEGA-CD?

[WarMasterXX]

Is it possible to make open-source BIOS files for these systems, especially since it was done for the GBA?

There are a few SEGA-CD games I'd love to get my hands on, but I REALLY don't wanna have to go out of my way to buy a SEGA-CD console just to dump its BIOS, and being the legit gamer I wanna be, I refuse to download the official BIOS.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Anything is possible.

 

[WarMasterXX]

Anything is possible.

Cool! Then let's start motivating people to make them!

 

[Deleted member 42501]

Best get to it then.

 

[FAST6191]

If the BIOS call and response is determined/known from legit means (which is to say not a leaked SDK) then you could in turn program such a thing to speak the same protocol and fit within the same space.

It is somewhat rare for people to go to the effort of such a thing though -- most would rather wind it into an emulator instead, or just have people download it/dump their own. You could also look at such code in an emulator and port that out into a BIOS reconstruction.

Also why would you have to dump the BIOS if you owned* the device? The whole "has to be your own backup" thing is generally a myth -- the law is concerned with damages and if you own a copy and did not download it from a torrent/p2p (which would mean you participated in distribution) then really what damages have occurred? Frankly what damages beyond some really hypothetical stuff have occurred if you downloaded the BIOS without owning a megacd? I might also be persuaded that the BIOS is a necessary part of emulating the device and thus for the purposes of interoperability (one of the key terms you will find in emulation cases) then... though case law is a bit thin on that one.

*you could potentially buy an emulated copy of a relevant game on some device. While most would be more concerned with it effectively granting them ownership of a copy of the game then you would also gain a copy of the emulator and thus something that emulates the BIOS and all the creative effort that went into it.

 

[WarMasterXX]

If the BIOS call and response is determined/known from legit means (which is to say not a leaked SDK) then you could in turn program such a thing to speak the same protocol and fit within the same space.

It is somewhat rare for people to go to the effort of such a thing though -- most would rather wind it into an emulator instead, or just have people download it/dump their own. You could also look at such code in an emulator and port that out into a BIOS reconstruction.

Also why would you have to dump the BIOS if you owned* the device? The whole "has to be your own backup" thing is generally a myth -- the law is concerned with damages and if you own a copy and did not download it from a torrent/p2p (which would mean you participated in distribution) then really what damages have occurred? Frankly what damages beyond some really hypothetical stuff have occurred if you downloaded the BIOS without owning a megacd? I might also be persuaded that the BIOS is a necessary part of emulating the device and thus for the purposes of interoperability (one of the key terms you will find in emulation cases) then... though case law is a bit thin on that one.

*you could potentially buy an emulated copy of a relevant game on some device. While most would be more concerned with it effectively granting them ownership of a copy of the game then you would also gain a copy of the emulator and thus something that emulates the BIOS and all the creative effort that went into it.

Blame the whole "has to be your own backup" thing on the PCSX2 team. They're the ones who are parading downloading BIOS files as 100% illegal and persecuting people who do it.

If you can convince me that it's completely OK to download a SEGA-CD BIOS from segaretro.org, where, except where otherwise noted, content on the site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, then I'll gladly do that versus trying to dump my own copy...

 

[Kioku]

Blame the whole "has to be your own backup" thing on the PCSX2 team. They're the ones who are parading downloading BIOS files as 100% illegal and persecuting people who do it.

If you can convince me that it's completely OK to download a SEGA-CD BIOS from segaretro.org, where, except where otherwise noted, content on the site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, then I'll gladly do that versus trying to dump my own copy...

I'm a bit leery on this whole debacle. Why, exactly, are you afraid of obtaining the BIOS for your own personal use?

 

[FAST6191]

Blame the whole "has to be your own backup" thing on the PCSX2 team. They're the ones who are parading downloading BIOS files as 100% illegal and persecuting people who do it.

It is a notion that existed way before PCSX2, or indeed the PS2 (I remember encountering it during the early PS1 days, and could probably find earlier but that was when I got into emulation proper and my days with the Amiga and PC prior to that were not exactly steeping me in the lore beyond an appreciation for intros).

It is a sure fire way to ensure that your users/viewers/... are operating in as above board a manner as it reasonable and deflect any criticism from you, as well as presumably ensuring they have a matching version in case you are worried about someone grabbing a newer or later version that they theoretically have no rights at all to.
As far as a legal basis. Don't think I have seen it brought up as a defence, a justification or the like. The general notions of the law are harms done and again as long as you did not distribute it I struggle to see the harms.

Best I have there as far as a source/historical first is some legal advice in manuals/agreements from the things being copied (music CDs, software, ...) are "you are allowed to have one backup you made yourself, must destroy it if you ever give away/sell/transfer/... your original" but I am sure we have all read the hilarious things from Nintendo and whatever else vis a vis importing, used games and whatever else over the years. This is to say taking legal advice from someone with a stake in the outcome is often dubious.

 

[WarMasterXX]

All right, since I'm obtaining my SEGA-CD BIOS from a documentation wiki instead of a ROM site, and since I intend to buy and dump all the SEGA-CD games I wanna emulate, I'm just gonna go ahead and do it. Like you said, this will be for my personal use only.

 

[FAST6191]

I am not sure where you got that reading from whatever I wrote. If it gets you where you need to be then OK.

 

[WarMasterXX]

I changed my mind and I'm not gonna illegally download the BIOS. I'll just either not bother with SEGA-CD emulation or wait until someone actually does make an open-source BIOS for the system.

 

[hippy dave]

Cool! Then let's start motivating people to make them!

Make a bounty, money is a good motivator.

 

[WarMasterXX]

All right, here's what I'm gonna do:
There's several games for the SEGA-CD (Batman Returns, Sonic CD, Earthworm Jim SE, Final Fight CD), that I'd very much like to emulate legally. So I'm gonna go ahead and hunt down a SEGA-CD to dump my BIOS from. Until I have the time and the money to do that, I'm gonna download a BIOS from segaretro, again only for my own personal use. Then when I finally dump my own BIOS, I'll delete the downloaded BIOS. Done.

 

[tech3475]

Have you actually looked up how to dump the BIOS to make sure you can do it?

 

[Jayro]

I'll never understand the weirdness and "morality" people get about downloading BIOS files. It's just another required file to get shit working... Get over yourself, honestly.

 

[The Catboy]

Blame the whole "has to be your own backup" thing on the PCSX2 team. They're the ones who are parading downloading BIOS files as 100% illegal and persecuting people who do it.

If you can convince me that it's completely OK to download a SEGA-CD BIOS from segaretro.org, where, except where otherwise noted, content on the site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, then I'll gladly do that versus trying to dump my own copy...

I am going to be honest with you, nothing is going to happen if you download your bios in a shady way. No one is going to sue you, you aren’t going to get arrested, you really shouldn’t be too worried. If you are worried, set up a VPN or some other form of security to protect your IP.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

I've pirated tons of serious stuff and the only time I have ever faced repercussions is when I was pirating a ps2 copy of the Simpsons hit and run and my isp threatened to shut my internet down(granted, i was also pirating some Wii U games, but it's funnier to think that they were mad specifically because I was pirating the simpsons hit and run)

 

[raging_chaos]

I've pirated tons of serious stuff and the only time I have ever faced repercussions is when I was pirating a ps2 copy of the Simpsons hit and run and my isp threatened to shut my internet down(granted, i was also pirating some Wii U games, but it's funnier to think that they were mad specifically because I was pirating the simpsons hit and run)

More than likely Fox not Sony has the entire Simpson's IP flagged and your ISP was just passing the message along. I've gotten the same type of letters over the last 10 years. The hilarious part of the letter is where it says 'we have not shared information with IP holders, but will if they ask' as if it would ever be a deterrent. After the 4th letter I just started paying for a VPN, haven't been bothered since.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

More than likely Fox not Sony has the entire Simpson's IP flagged and your ISP was just passing the message along. I've gotten the same type of letters over the last 10 years. The hilarious part of the letter is where it says 'we have not shared information with IP holders, but will if they ask' as if it would ever be a deterrent. After the 4th letter I just started paying for a VPN, haven't been bothered since.

I don't know why, but the idea that they have "simpsons" flagged makes it funnier

 

[WarMasterXX]

@tech3475 Yes I did. It's very easy and very cheap too.

@Lilith Valentine Fine, I won't worry about it anymore. But I'm still buying and dumping any SEGA-CD games I wanna emulate...